Throughout the winter of 2020–2021, conservation photographer Carla Rhodes positioned a DSLR camera trap underneath her bird feeder. The result: delightful close-up shots of various furred and feathered friends, including the ones you see here—not to mention countless interesting observations about the creatures who roam the grounds of her Catskills, N.Y., home. “When the sun went down, deer mice would gather the dropped seeds, caching them in a stone wall near the bird feeder,” says Rhodes. “When day broke, an assortment of looters, from birds to squirrels, would raid the cached bounty.” The photos are part of a project called “Beneath the Bird Feeder,” which Rhodes hopes will inspire others to explore their backyards too. You can find it at carlarhodes.com.
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